Trouble Cat Mysteries

Series · 13

books · 2017-2020

By Rebecca Barrett, Claire Matturro, Jaden Terrell, and more

Books in series

Familiar Trouble

2017

BLOOD IS THICKER... Sometimes a unique talent is inherited—and such is the case for Trouble, son of Familiar the black cat detective. Trouble’s rather indolent life in the sleepy town of Wetumpka, Alabama is upended when a serial killer arrives on the scene. Trouble begins to apply the skills he learned from his dad and his hero, Sherlock Holmes. When local bookseller Tammy Lynn is attacked at the site of an impact crater, Trouble realizes he must protect his human and solve the mystery of the Silk Stocking Killer. Aiden Waters, a local deputy, has tracked the SSK to Wetumpka. Since his wife’s murder, Aiden won’t risk romance, but when Tammy is endangered, everything changes. Especially their hearts.

Trouble in Dixie

2017

OLD MONEY AND FRESH MURDER—Trouble, a savvy black cat with a penchant for sleuthing, has landed in the cream of Savannah society. So has a murderer and art thief. Julia Hampton comes from old family, old money, and old society, but her job as an art insurance investigator puts her at odds with her background—and with the killer. Julia is determined to stop him. U. S. Deputy Marshal Mitch Lawson knows more than he's willing to let on. One thing is clear: Julia is in danger—because of secrets he won't share. But have no fear, Trouble the black cat detective is on the job and while Julia and Mitch are distracted by their attraction to each other, he is about to get his man.

Trouble in Tallahassee

2017

THE LAW CAN'T PROTECT HER Young attorney Abby Coleridge opens her home to a troubled law student after a fire destroys the woman’s apartment. When the student disappears, leaving behind a blood-splattered note and a stash of cryptic flash-drives, Abby sets out to find her. Soon, a murderous arsonist threatens them both. Law student Victor Rutledge, a former Navy officer, knows more than he's telling. So much so that his offers to help Abby seem suspicious. When police reveal his scandalous past, Abby doesn’t know who to trust. Trouble, the black cat detective, lands in Tallahassee, Florida in the nick of time. Can he sniff out the salient clues and push Abby and Victor in the right direction and into each other’s arms? Can he save them—and himself—from a fiery end?

Trouble in Summer Valley

2017

DIVORCE, BETRAYAL, MURDER – Avery Wilson knew starting over would be hard, but she never expected to be in an all-out war with her ex. What was he planning next? Her goal of equine rehabilitation for wounded veterans on her Alabama horse ranch was slipping from her grasp, and her precious horses were in danger. Dirks Hanna had what should have been a simple mission – evaluate Summer Valley Ranch for federal funding. But something deadly was happening in Summer Valley. The beautiful – and headstrong – equestrian was targeted for harm with danger in every direction. And, intertwined with that danger, was a multi-faceted black cat who somehow appeared at the scene of every disaster. Trouble had arrived at the ranch anticipating bitter human emotions to run high, but the black cat finds his paws more than full with murder and two very stubborn humans who refuse to see they are meant for each other.

#4.5

Trouble Under the Mistletoe

2017

Trouble, the Sherlock of black cat detective, finds himself in Turnout, MS on Christmas Eve. Teddy Adamson, that heart breaker, has just walked back into Billie Dean Bailey’s life. But more dire happenings are going on under the mistletoe. Who ends up dead and why? Was it the maraschino cherries in the Tizzington sisters’ fruit compote? Or was it something more sinister? Find out in this short story of Trouble’s latest escapade in the Familiar Legacy Mystery Series.

Small Town Trouble

2017

SUMMER SECRETS...KIDNAPPING AND MURDER. Erin Walsh arrives home to tiny New Belford, Kentucky from college only to clash with her young stepmother, Shelby Rae. When Shelby Rae is kidnapped and a dear friend of the family is murdered, Erin discovers that both victims had secrets connected to the violent death of her mother seven years earlier. In a small town the pool of suspects is limited, but it also means the danger to Erin’s own life is deathly close. Noah Daly, an old high school friend, is the son of the man everyone blames for the violent death of Erin’s mother. But he’s also the one person Erin feels she can trust to help her find Shelby Rae’s kidnapper and her friend’s murderer. Or is her sudden attraction to him blinding her to his true nature? Enter Trouble, the wise and wily black cat detective. His paws have barely landed in the bluegrass when he realizes Erin is about to put herself in danger. Can he lead Erin to the truth before she becomes a victim herself?

Trouble in Paradise

2018

DEAD IN PARADISE… Key West is paradise—unless you’re the dead woman in the Toucan Suite. The Hemingway cats, Megs and Bartholomew, who wander the grounds of the B&B, think Liberty Anderson was a spy. But spying on whom? And why? Trouble, the black cat detective, must decipher their cryptic communications and piece together a motive for murder. Ginger Browne runs the B&B on a shoestring. The Paradise is her home, her history, and her refuge. An unsolved murder could be the kiss of death for this native Conch’s struggle for financial and emotional security. Trout Richardson is one of the many recluses who came to Key West to escape his past and work as a charter boat captain. Was Liberty merely a charter to him? Or is there more to their relationship? Both Trout and Ginger resist their mutual attraction, but Trouble knows they’re on an irreversible course toward love and redemption. Trouble must help them resolve the mystery of Liberty’s murder and steer them down the path toward each other. All while a killer roams the island paradise of the Conch Republic and a lost treasure is up for grabs.

Turning for Trouble

2018

DUST, GLORY—AND MURDER—AT THE RODEO. Malone Summers 'has what it takes' to ride horses to big wins in the rough and tumble world of rodeo. Once young and headstrong, she’d chased her dream with a wild rodeo cowboy destined to break her heart. Now she’s riding high—until she finds a frightened young stowaway named Joss in her rig, and the murders of rough stock riders begin. Cade Delaney has a past heartbreak of his own. He’s ready for a second chance with the only girl who ever turned his head or stole his heart, but while Malone is a risk-taker in the arena, she’s not willing to put her heart on the line again when Cade reappears in her life. Trouble, the sleek and talented black cat detective, finds himself in the world of rodeo and murder when he takes on the job of guarding Malone against the mounting danger around her. Young Joss is connected to the murders, but how? Trouble has to help the humanoids determine what role Joss plays in the dangerous events and then help them see the truth their hearts fight against.

Trouble's Wedding Caper

2019

SEX, LIES, AND WEDDING BETRAYALS… Annabel Wilder returns home to Jupiter, Florida seeking a fresh start after her boyfriend breaks her heart with his infidelity. She sets herself up as a treasure hunter and soon bids on a mysterious storage unit. Once she opens it, Annabel finds the unit stuffed with wedding dresses, bridesmaid gowns, and jewelry. But somebody else wants the unit and Annabel is only in the way. Landing smack in the middle of the mess, Annabel is soon swept up in a dangerous investigation headed by the handsome Sheriff Ethan Ferris. Now her heart and her life are both at risk. Ethan Ferris hadn’t been able to get Annabel out of his mind after a single shot of whiskey he’d shared with her four months before changed his life. And now she’s back. But a cheating fiancée has hardened his heart to love—and to Annabel. When his criminal investigation embroils them both in danger, Ethan is forced to face his past or lose the future. Trouble, a sleek black cat with brilliant detective skills only second to Sherlock Holmes, lands in Jupiter in the nick of time. Can he help Ethan solve a rash of wedding burglaries before the culprit harms Annabel? Can the savvy black cat help the would-be lovers overcome their jaded hearts and trust love again?

Bone-a-fied Trouble

2019

CATS, COTTON, AND...MURDER—The worlds of Sarah Booth Delaney's Zinnia, Mississippi and Trouble, the black cat detective, collide in this fast-paced tale of high stakes cotton research, abduction, and murder. Trouble, the Sherlockian feline, falls in with Pluto, another cat with a yin for detective work, to find the missing Trudy Wells. But the cats aren't alone. Tabitha Kingsley, posing as a psychic medium, has come to the Mississippi Delta to find her missing sister. Standing in Tabitha's way is the cynical—and compelling—Roger Long. Roger manages the vast Long Agricultural Products farm and business. Trudy was his newly hired receptionist—and possible lover—before she disappeared. In a world of wealth and privilege, Tabitha must discover the truth of what her rebellious, sometimes law-breaking, sister was really up to. And she must trust Roger to help her. Trouble and Pluto aid the bipeds in finding the answers—to Trudy's vanishing act and also to the path to trust.

#10

Trouble in Action

2019

REENACTORS, VINTAGE WEAPONS, and TWO DEAD BODIES! Kylah West has faith in her horses and her skill to ride them in a reenactment of the Civil War battle of Albrecht Creek. Still suffering from her husband’s suicide, Kylah’s only focus is work. But her concentration is broken when she meets U.S. Marshal Wolf Stockton and the body of a young reenactor is found, shot through the heart with a vintage rifle. Is it revenge, an accidental shooting, or a hint that opposing forces in the community are boiling over? Those questions turn personal for Wolf and Kylah when her life is endangered. Into the exciting world of stunt riders, tension between the university sponsoring the reenactment and a Cherokee nation tired of being wrongly blamed for everything, strolls Trouble, black cat detective. Trouble attaches to Kylah when he realizes her vulnerability. He works with Wolf to determine who is behind the murders—and who is attempting to ambush Kylah and her horses as she gives the key performance of the reenactment. As the feline races the clock to keep Kylah safe, he also realizes the two bipeds have another deep need—for each other. He must help solve the mystery while showing his humans the path to true love.

#11

Trouble Most Faire

2019

After the worst breakup in human history, Robbi Bryan needs a carefree summer and a place to fly her falcon. To give her wounded heart time to recover, she joins the Sherwood Renaissance Faire. But the faire holds much more than jugglers, archers, and a chance to reenact the days of yore. Robbi finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, lies, rivalries, and murder. The last thing she has time for is a handsome Scotsman with some hefty baggage of his own. Mal McClaren has found a haven and a retreat among the permanent residents of Sherwood, Tennessee's year-round Ren Faire. When a murder threatens his home, the brawny Scotsman comes up with a risky plan to find the killer and save the faire. He didn't count on falling for a feisty falconer with a troubled past. Trouble, the famous black cat detective, has never lost a human in his charge. He's also never had—or wanted—a sidekick. But with a killer on the loose and the future of the faire in jeopardy, Trouble must work paw-in-hoof with Tuck, an incorrigible potbellied pig, to unmask the killer and show two wounded people that love is a risk worth taking.

#11.75

Year-Round Trouble

14 Original Cozy Holiday Mysteries

2020

14 talented mystery authors team up with Trouble, the black cat detective, to take a whirlwind tour of mystery locales—and holidays—across the country and the calendar. In this unique collection of original stories, the black cat shows his charm and sass as he works with cozy sleuths you know and love! From facing down the spirits of Halloween with a Maine Coon Cat named Diesel in Mississippi to Christmas in Taos, Trouble is on the prowl for arch criminals, and he’s never needed the skills he learned from watching Benedict Cumberbatch on the telly as Sherlock Holmes more. Join the wise-cracking cat and a host of “biped” sleuths for a romp across the mystery map—where he works with only the finest amateur sleuths to bring justice. Authors are Ritter Ames, Rebecca Barrett, Susan Boles, Pamela Sue DuMond, Caroline Fardig, Carolyn Haines, Miranda James, Ava Mallory, Claire Matturro, Joanne Pence, Larissa Reinhart, Connie Shelton, Susan Y. Tanner, Jaden Terrell. Read the stories all at once—or savor them as each holiday approaches! Just remember: Life is never the same when Trouble takes a holiday!

Authors

Rebecca Barrett

Author · 3 books

Rebecca Barrett writes historical fiction, the Hugo August Detective series, cozy mysteries, children’s stories, and short stories of life in the South. An avid reader all her life and a product of “front porch” socializing, she became a story-teller at an early age. She resides in the lovely artist colony of Fairhope, AL, on the shores of Mobile Bay where she draws inspiration and joy. Visit the author's website rebeccabarrett.com to enjoy some of her short stories.

Claire Matturro

Author · 7 books

Claire Hamner Matturro, a former lawyer and college teacher, is the author of four legal mysteries with a sense of humor. Her books are: Skinny-Dipping (2004) (a BookSense pick, Romantic Times’Best First Mystery, and nominated for a Barry Award); Wildcat Wine (2005) (nominated for a Georgia Writer of the Year Award); Bone Valley(2006) and Sweetheart Deal (2007) (winner of Romantic Times’ Toby Bromberg Award for Most Humorous Mystery), all published by William Morrow. After her romantic suspense legal thriller, Trouble in Tallahassee (KaliOka Press 2017), Claire turned more serious with her newer book, The Smuggler's Daughter (Red Adept Publishing July 2020) and she returns to the Gulf Coast of Florida that she knows so well in a gripping mystery. And look for her newest book Wayward Girls, her joint-writing adventure with Penny Koepsel, which was released in August of this year. Claire remains active in writers’ groups, teaches creative writing in adult education, and write reviews for Southern Literary Review. Visit her at www.clairematturro.com

Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. In 2020, she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama Library Association, the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the "Best Amateur Sleuth" award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.

Laura Benedict

Author · 11 books

Laura Benedict is the Edgar- and ITW Thriller Award- nominated author of eight novels of suspense, including The Stranger Inside). Her Bliss House gothic trilogy includes The Abandoned Heart, Charlotte’s Story (Booklist starred review), and Bliss House. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and in numerous anthologies like Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers, and St. Louis Noir. A native of Cincinnati, she lives in Southern Illinois with her family. Visit her at www.laurabenedict.com.

Susan Y. Tanner

Author · 4 books

AKA Susan Tanner, historical romance writer. Susan Y. Tanner continues to blend her passion for horses with her passion for writing. In Trouble in Summer Valley, she introduced readers to the rescue horses of Summer Valley Ranch where they prove their worth in therapeutic riding. In Turning for Trouble, her own rodeo experience brings that rough and tumble world to life. Her third romantic mystery, Trouble in Action, showcases the risky profession of stunt riding while giving a glimpse into historical reenactments. A Whisper of Trouble provides a glimpse into a talent practiced by few...the art of horse whispering. Published by KaliOka Press, these romantic mysteries feature a super-sleuth in the form of a black cat detective. They are part of the Trouble Cat Detective series written in concert with some very talented authors. Ms. Tanner's five historical romances—Highland Captive, Captive to a Dream, Exiled Heart, Fire Across Texas, Winds Across Texas, and A Warm Southern Christmas (a novella)—have been rereleased by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing. All were previously published by Leisure Books.

Jen Talty

Author · 96 books

Jen Talty is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Paranormal Romance. In the fall of 2020, her short story was selected and featured in a 1001 Dark Nights Anthology. She is currently contracted to write in the With Me in Seattle series by Kristen Proby with Lady Boss Press, as well as Susan Stoker’s Special Forces: Operation Alpha and Elle James’s Brotherhood Protectors. Regardless of the genre, her goal is to take you on a ride that will leave you floating under the sun with warmth in your heart. She writes stories about broken heroes and heroines who aren’t necessarily looking for romance, but in the end, they find the kind of love books are written about :). She first started writing while carting her kids to one hockey rink after the other, averaging 170 games per year between 3 kids in 2 countries and 5 states. Her first book, IN TWO WEEKS was originally published in 2007. In 2010 she helped form a publishing company (Cool Gus Publishing) with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer where she ran the technical side of the business through 2016. Jen is currently enjoying the next phase of her life…the empty nester! She and her husband reside in Jupiter, Florida. Grab a glass of vino, kick back, relax, and let the romance roll in…